Chapter 101 LIFETIME

Chapter 101 LIFETIME
Leah

Aiden's men stormed up the stairs just as I informed him that a man carried a sack with Roman in it upstairs.

"Find him!" Aiden barked, and they scattered immediately.

My heart slammed against my ribs as I followed Aiden moving from room to room and floor to floor.

"Nothing here!" One of his men shouted.

Aiden squeezed my arm in assurance, but it only made my heart beat faster.

A gunshot echoed through the building, and we ran toward it. 

We burst into an open space where one of his men stood over a body. 

My eyes swept the past it and landed on the sack.

"Roman," I said as I ran to it, my hands shaking as I tore at the rope.

"It's okay, honey, Mommy is here."

The sack shifting filled my chest with hope until I pulled it open and everything inside me shattered.

There was indeed a child bond inside, but it wasn't Roman. 

My breath left me in a broken gasp.

Aiden reached me just as I looked up at him, my face draining of all colour.

"Where is Roman?" I asked.

He looked at me, shock written in his face before his gaze dropped to the girl crying. Then he crouched, pulled the gag from her mouth, and cut the ropes.

The moment she was free, she threw herself into his arms.

"Daddy," she sobbed.

"It's okay," he murmured into her hair, holding her tight. "You're safe now."

I stayed on my knees, staring at the empty space where my son should have been as an ugly emotion twisted in my chest.

I pushed myself up slowly and turned to leave when Aiden caught my wrist.

"Where are you going?"

I yanked free from his grip. 

"To find my son," I screamed at him.

The word came out wrong, and I felt it, saw it land, but I couldn't take it back since it had done the damage.

He grabbed me again. "I'll find him."

"You've been saying that ever since you got here, and he is still missing!" 

I feel shitty blaming him when it wasn't his fault.

My chest heaved. "The only person who knew where he is... is dead."

I looked at the little girl in his arms, who had done nothing wrong and hated myself for the ugly thought clawing at my chest.

Why her?

"Take care of your daughter," I said. "Let me go find my son."

His grip tightened.

"Our son," he corrected. "We're going to find our son."

Before I could respond, he turned sharply.

"Search the whole place again!"

His men moved immediately, and the search began again.

My thoughts spiralled as he pulled me along with him.

What if he isn't here? What if we're too late? What if—

"You said it yourself," Aiden said quietly, giving me a small strained smile. "He is a fighter." 

He said that, but the fear in his eyes was worse than mine, and his hand trembled while holding me.

"Nothing will happen to him."

I nodded, but my chest felt like it was caving in.

We entered another room, and while Aiden searched it, still carrying Laura, I walked over to the open wall and looked down below to see the same tank I saw earlier. My heart started pounding as I watched the slow drip from the tap at its base.

"Let's check the next room," Aiden said behind me.

I took a step toward the door, then stopped and turned back. 

"Tha tank."

"What about it?"

I turned to him, my heart now racing. "There was no water before."

Aiden looked at me confused. 

"Roman is in the tank!" I gasped, already running out and down the stairs, almost slipping but caught myself.

"Leah, slow down!" 

I didn't stop until I reached the ground floor and sprinted toward the tank.

"Roman!" I screamed, pounding against the plastic. "Roman!"

"He's in there!" I cried, turning to Aiden. "Our son is in there!"

Aiden handed Laura to someone without looking and snatched a metal rod from another.  

He hit it hard against the side, and the plastic dented inward. Then he continued hitting it.

"The fuck are you all standing around for?!" he roared at his men. "Break the fucking thing!"

His men rushed forward, striking the tank alongside him while I stood behind them, frozen and shaking, my hands pressed to my mouth as my heart pounded in my ears.

A sharp split formed along the side and water began leaking through it in thin streams.

"Keep hitting it!" Aiden shouted.

The crack widened and water started pouring out faster.

Please. Please don't let me be too late. 

One more hit and the tank tore open, water bursting out along with a small body.

"Roman!"

Aiden dropped the rod as he rushed to pull him out of the rushing water. Roman's body hung lump in his arms, his skin too pale.

"Is he okay?" I asked, wiping my tears with the back of my hand as I stumbled after them. "Aiden?"

He dropped to his knees, laying Roman flat on the ground and then pressed his ear to his chest.

"How is he?" I asked again, kneeling beside them.

He ignored me titling Roman's head back to clear his airway with shaky hands.

"Call an ambiance!" Someone shouted in the background.

"Aiden," I cried, grabbing his arm. "Talk to me!"

He said nothing as his hands went to Roman's chest.

"One... two... three—"

His voice broke on the count as Roman's body jerked under the force.

"Come on," he choked, leaning down and breathing into his mouth.

Tears blurred everything until the world became nothing but shapes and sound. Everything sounded distant and muted like the world slowed down. 

Aiden kept going. "Come on," he shouted, his voice breaking. "Come on, Roman." 

Water spilt from his mouth, but he didn't open his eyes.

My grip tightened around Aiden's arm. "Please," I sobbed. "Don't let him die, please."

"Fuck," he choked as tears slipped down his face and landed on Roman's cheek. "I'm trying."

As if to rejoice in my sorrow the sky opened and rain poured down on us in heavy, relentless sheets.

Somewhere in the distance, a siren wailed.

Aiden's hands pressed harder, faster, like he could force life back into him.

"Breathe!" He cried. "Breathe, Goddamit!"

I collapsed beside them as I felt my whole world shatter.

"Why... why isn't he waking up, Aiden?"